Brace



March 17, 1925.l

, J. E. WHITFIELD BRACE Filed Dec. 30, 1924 Patented `Mar..17,y 1925.v

UNITED STA TES PATENT? OFFICE.

.msnen n., WHITFIELD, or EAST rrrfrsBUaGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

, BRACE.

Application med necembef ao,4 1924. serial No. 758,837. 1

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. WHITFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented ycertain new and useful Improvements in a Brace, of which the following isa specifient attachmentthis undesirable back rotation is eliminated.V

Another important object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the nature specified which may be placed in an out of the way position when not in use.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an attachment ofthis nature which is operable by the ratchet operating means already foundl on the conventional ratchet brace.

A still further very important object of the inventionis to provide ,al device of this nature having an extremely .simple and eflcient structure, one which is reliable in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, compact, strong, durable, not liable to readily get out of order, handy, easy to manipulate, and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the above and numerous objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel 'features of constructiom and in the combination and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

`In the drawing j Fi ure 1 is an elevation of the braceembodymg the features of myl invention, the upper or handle portion thereof being shown in section. l I

Figure '2 is afdetail vertical 'section taken through the ratchety mechanism of the imlproved brace'.

Figure 3 is a" transverse sec'ticn taken' substantially on the line3-3 of Figure 1 looki l ing in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 4 is a detail section taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a detail section taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.v

Referring to the drawing in detail 4it will `be seen that'the brace which has been disclosed is formed similar tothe conventional typeof ratchet brace now commonly in use, and includes among other improved elements the following conventional elements,

namely, the handle portion` 5 having on its upper end the grip 6, the crank 7` pro-I yvided with the intermediately disposed grip 8, and the chuck or tool engaging portion 9. 'Of these conventional elements I shall only describe in detail as far as they are pertinent to my improvements.

The chuck 9 includes the usual shank 10 reduced'at 11 and journaled through the spaced extremities 12 ofthe lower arm of the crank 7. The upper end of the reduced'` portion 11 of the shank 10 is spaced from the upper extremity 12 and is in the form of a ratchet head 13. A second ratchet memb er,14 is mounted to slide on and rotate with ,the `upper portion of the reduced shank, lthe ratchet teeth being formed on the edge thereof and pitched oppositely to the lratchet f teeth onthe head 13. A spring 15 normally' holds the ratchet member 14 in a down position, that is in engagementwith the upper extremity 12 of the lower arm of the crank.

As is conventional in ratchet'braces the lower arm adjacent its extremity Ais provided with an annular groove 16 having humps 17k and 18 atspaced intervals for 'alternately engaging the two pawls y19'pivoted in longitudinal grooves 20 'in the crank arm and normally held out of engagement with theratchet wheel 21 keyedon the reduced por-` tion 11 between the extremities 112. Byrotation ofthe collar 22 the humps 17 and 18 carried thereby will force alternately thel pawls 19 in engagement with the ratchet f .wheel 21.

In my improved structure I l` provide a pair of spaced longitudinally' extending ooves 24 -in the lower arm of the crank v the'bottoms of which are curved to form humpsy 25 vwhich provide fulcrums for bars 26, one end ofwhich terminateswithin the lcollar or' sleeve 2 2 vto be enga"fed by humps 27 'formed Linteriorlyy thereo' whichy 'cause the bars to swing` so that their outer ends disposed below the ratchet member le will litt this member 14e so that its ratchet teeth extend above the ratchet teeth of the meinber i3. The hunips 26 are located so as to be in engaging position with respect to the bars 26 only when one of the humps lT or 13 is engaged with its respective pawl I9. This arrangement is determined by the pitch ot the teeth on the members 13 and let as will be readily understood by 'those skilled in the art. K

The handle member 5 in the present embodiment of the invention is formed hollow and at the lower or inner end thereof there is mounted a hollow keeper having therein an annular groove 29, the lower wall of which is provided with diametrically opposed notches 30 tor a purpose which will be brought out later.

A hollow member 31 has a head 3Q on its up-per end slidable within the handle portion 5 and a second hollow member 34 has a head on its upper end as at 3G slidable in the hollow member 3l and at its lower end is provided with a transversely extending pin 37 adapted to engage the ratchet teeth of either member 13 or 14. The hollow members 3l and 34 form a supporting telescoping stem for the pin 3i' and a spring 38 normally holds this stem .in the extended position shown in Figure l so that the pin 37 is engaged with the ratchet teeth of i the member 13 or lil which may be actively disposed, bars 26.

It is preferable to pro-vide a pocket 40 in the upper end of the reduced porti-on 1l for the reception of the lower end of the member 34 ot the telescopically constructed stem in order to hold it in proper alignment. The members 3l, 3st, and pin 37 and the ratchet member 'i3 or 14 with which it is engaged will afford sulicient 'friction to overcome the tendency ot the back rotation of the chuck 9 and the tool therein during the operation of the ratchet wrench.

It is thoughtfthat a clear understanding ot the construction of the present embodiment of the invention will be understood with its advantages without a more detailed description. It should be apparent from the above that I have provided a device which will eliectively overcome the undesirable back rotation ot the tool during the operation of aratchet wrench and that the attachment is capable of being moved to depending upon the positioning of an out of the way position by telescoping the members 34 and 35 in the hollow handle portion 5, passing the pins 37 through the notches 30 and rotating it into engagement with the annular groove 29, this operation being similar to the bayonet slot arrangement which is quite common. It will further be apparent that the improvements madam are ot' a very simple nature and may be incorporated in a ratchet wrench at a reasonably low cost or manufactured initially therewith and that the improvements are not liable to readily get out of order and do not require any great skill in order that they may be properly manipulated with the other usual 'features ot a ratchet wrench. rl`he present invention has been disclosed in the preferred embodiment thereof, but it is to be understood thatthe same is susceptible of numerous changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement oi2 parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any. of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is l. In a brace, a hollow handle portion, a

crank rotatable thereon, a chuck on the crank, a ratchet mechanism associated between the crank and the chuck, a ratchet member on the upper end of the shank of the chuck and having teeth disposed in one direction, a slidable ratchet member on the shank of the chuck and having teeth disposed oppositely to those on the other ratchet member, means for moving the second ratchet member above the iirst ratchet member, a spring pressed stem telescopically associated with the hollow handle, a pin at the lower end of the stem for engaging the teeth of one of the ratchet inembers, and means holding the second ratchet member normally below the first ratchet member;

2. In a brace, a hollow handle portion, a crank rotatable thereon, a chuck on the crank, a ratchet mechanism associated bebetween the crank and the chuck, a ratchet member on the upper end of the shank of the chuck and having teeth disposed in one direction, a slidable ratchet member on. the shank of the chuck and having teeth dis posed oppositely to those on the other ratchet member, means for moving the second ratchet member above the iirstratchet member, a spring pressed stem telescopically associated with the hollow handle, a pin at the lower end kot the stem for engaging the teeth of one of the ratchet members, means holding the second ratchet member normally below the first ratchet member, I

ratchet members, and means for operating the ratchet members o-the attachment so that they Will be alternately disposed inl an operative position in respect to the spring' pressed pin to be engaged thereby.

4. In a ratchet brace of the class clescribed, an attachment for preventing back rotation of the tool associated With the brace including a pair of ratchet members ro tatable with the tool and having teeth, the teeth of one memberv being oppositely disposedv from those of the other member, a spring pressed pin engageable With Athe ratchet members, means for operating the ratchet members of the attachment so that they will be alternately disposed in an operative position in respect to the spring pressed pin to be engaged thereby, and means for holding the pin in an out of the Way position.

In testimony whereof I ail-lx my signature.

' JOSEPH E. WHITFIELD. 

